southey



A. W. SOUTHEY. v

PRODUCTION OF GASEOUS FUEL FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES- APPLICATIONmen AUGJG. 1916. 1

1,351, 1 93, Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

IIlYIIIIIIIIIIIII/IIMIMI/Milli A. w. SOUTHEY. PRODUCTION OF GASEOUS FUELFOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES- APPLICATION FILED AUGJB. 1916.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' tion engines.

UNITED STATES TENT OFFIQE.

ALFRED WILLIAM SOlJ'TI-IEY, LONDGN, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR '10 SOUTHEY GASPRODUCERS LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

PRODUCTION OF GASEOUS FUEL FOB, INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED WILLIAM SoU'rriEY, a subjectof the King ofGreat Britain, and resident of 38 Hale Lane, Mill Hill, London, England,engineer, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Production ofGaseous Fuel for Internal- Combustion Engines, of which the following isa specification.

Among the methods which havebeen proposed for the production of gaseousfuel for internal combustion engines from liquid hydrocarbons, such forexample as paraffin, there is one which by the partial combustion of theliquid fuel produces a mixture formed partly of combustion products andpartly of unburnt fuel in a gaseous condition.

If a mixture of this description is led to the cylinders of an internalcombustion engine it is sometimes found to be a fuel deficient in powerowing to loss ofcalorific value due to increased intensity of the flameand sometimes when the intensity of the flame is less by reason of alimitation of the supply of air the fuel is insufiiciently vaporized andthere is condensation in the cylinders and a dirty exhaust. 7

To obtain satisfactory results it is necessary to properly vaporize theliquid fuel and to superheat the vapor and to do this without wastingthe calorific value of the fuel.

According. to the present invention I do not as in some previousmethods, inject liquid fuel into a flame and allow combustion of thesaid fuel to take place in the presence of air a sufficiency of which atall times cannot be determined but I cause a high temperature flame towhich air has been freely supplied so as to insure that the flameconsequent on the condition of complete combustion is drawn by thesuction of the engine in the direction of the cylinders and comes intodirect contact on its way with liquid fuel which is also drawn into aspace where the flame is quenched by the fuel so that no further,combustion takes place by reason of the absence of air to support it. Asuperheated vapor is thus produced which with air added laterconstitutes'a highly sat-= isfactory gaseous fuel for internal combus-The suction of the engine. which is variable regulates the intensity ofthe flame and takes Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 31,1920.

Application filed August 16, 1916.

Serial No; 115,199. I

' tical apparatus embodying my invention.

iveferring to Fig. l a is a kind of double pan with a compartment Z) forthe wicks 0. (Z is an upstanding tube of suitable sectional area and eis a chamber having an orifice 6 open to and situated above the end ofthe tube (Z. The chamber 6 has at its opposite end an outlet f leadingto the engine cylinders. Liquid fuel is contained within the space 9formed by the double bottom of the pan, within the wick chamber 6 andwithin the tube (Z and the level of the liquid is maintained constant atapproximately the height of the tube Z by any convenient form of float.T he space it surrounding the tube (Z is empty of fuel and open to theair.

The flame from the wicks is drawn by the suction of the engine into theorifice e of the chamber e around the tube (Z. Here the flame meets theliquid fuel which is delivered from the tube (Z and vaporizes it inaccordance with the intensity which the flame possesses and which isdetermined by the draft created by the-suction of the engine. Sufficientair is not admitted to the chamber 6 to support combustion andconsequently the flame is quenched by the fuel'at the orifice e and nofurther combustion takes place. There is therefore no destruction of thecalorific value of the fuel which is merely vaporized and superheated.If air were admitted to the chamber 6 the interior of the latter wouldbe full of flame and the calorific value of the vaporized fuel would bedestroyed.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 2 acts in a similar manner but in this casethe bottom of the chamber 6 is open to the trough 9 containing theliquid fuel and the flame from the wicks is drawn into the said chamberby a depending piped so that the'flanie impinges upon the surface of thefuel, maintained constantly on a level with the end of the pipe (Z andcarries away a superheated and unburnt vapor suitable for firing anengine.

I may remark that the apparatus em ployed for carrying out my inventionis capable of considerable variation and will be constructed inaccordance with the character of the liquid fuel employed and othercircumstances. As above indicated the forms of apparatus hereindescribed and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 are only intended to bediagraminatic.

I will. now describe the practical form of apparatus shown in Fig. 3.

a is a tank containing a space 6 for the wicks c and surrounding thespace 6, an annular trough g for the float 2'. Fuel enters the trough gby the orifice which is furnished with a valve 1". operated by the floatthrough the pivoted lever Z. The fuel flows into the wick space 7) byholes on. Within the space Z) is an empty receptacle 71. open at thetop. (Z is a tube or nozzle for the fuel the end of whichnozzle extendssomewhat above the level of the fuel in the surrounding spaces 6 and gindicated by the broken line. The fuel is admitted to the nozzle (Z bythe holes a and the chamber 0 the latter being formed by a tubularportion depending from the bottom of the receptacle h and constituting asupportfor the latter within the space E). j) is a screw plug forclosing the bottom end of the chamber 0 and g is a strainer for the fuelat the bottom of the nozzle (Z. a is a cover for the trough g. s is aplace for a sparking plug therein and t is a covered aperture forlighting the wicks when required.

Surrounding the upper portion of the nozzle (Z is the orifice e of thechamber 6 which opens at its upper end into the mixing throttle a whichit is not necessary here to describe.

it will be seen that the chamber 6 is supported by an external annularportion a resting on an upstanding ring 20 which forms part of the cover1" before mentioned. :1 are flap valves in the portion o for admittingair freely into the space 6 and for enabling the fuel to burn at thewicks 0. flame from the wicks is drawn by the suction of the engine inthe direction of the arrows into the orifice e where it meets the fuelfrom the tube (Z as in the manner explained with reference to thediagrams Figs. 1 and 2.

'No claim is herein made to the novel features of the above describedpractical form of apparatus for carrying out the improved method as thesame constitute the subject matter of an application filed March 14,1917, Serial No. 154,832.

W'hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is 1. The method herein described of mak- The ing gaseousproducts which consists in producing a flame, conducting said flame intoa restricted passage so as to reduce the cross sectional area of theflame and thus obtain a zone of high temperature, and subjecting liquidfuel to the flame at said restricted zone of high temperature.

2. The herein-described method of mak ing gaseous products, whichconsists in producing a flame, conducting said flame into a restrictedpassage, subjecting liquid fuel to said flame in said passage, andmaintaining in said passage an insufficient amount of air to supportcombustion.

3. The herein described method of making gaseous products which consistsin producing a flame, sucking said flame into a restricted passage so asto obtain a zone of high temperature, and drawing by suction liquid fuelin the form of a spray into the zone of high temperature and at whichpoint there is an insufiicient amount of air to support combustion ofthe added fuel.

4. The herein-described method of making gaseous products, whichconsists in substantially surrounding the open end of a chamber with aflame, drawing said flame in constricted condition into said chamber,and introducing fuel into said chamber at the point of constriction ofsaid flame.

5. The herein-described method of making gaseous products, whichconsists in maintaining a substantially annular flame about thecontracted end of a chamber, passing said flame into and through suchcontracted end to produce a zone of high temperature at such point,introducing liquid fuel in finely-divided condition into said zone, andmaintaining in said zone an in suflicient amount of air to supportcombustion.

6. The herein-described method of making gaseous products, whichconsists in maintaining a substantially annular flame about thecontracted end of a chamber, passing said flame into and through suchcontracted end to produce a, zone of high temperature at such point,introducing liquid fuel in finely-divided condition into said zone,maintaining in said passage an insufficient amount of air to supportcombustion and expanding the resultant products into said chamber.

7. The herein-described method of making gaseous products, whichconsists in maintaining a substantially annular flame about thecontracted end of a chamber, passing said flame into and through suchcontracted end to produce a zone of high temperature at such point,introducing liquid fuel in finely-divided condition into said zone,maintaining in said zone an insuflicient amount of air to supportcombustion, ex panding the resultant products into said chamber, andadding air to said products at a point sufliciently remote from saidzone to prevent combustion.

8. The herein-described method of making gaseous products, whichconsists in maintaining a substantially annular flame about anopen-ended tube, sucking said flame in constricted condition into andthrough said tube, drawing liquid fuel in finelydivided condition intosaid tube substantially centrally thereof, and maintaining in said tubean insufficient amount of air to support combustion.

9. The herein-described method of making gaseous products, whichconsists in producing a flame, supplying atmospheric air to said flame,constricting said flame to produce a zone of high-temperature, introducing fuel to said flame at said zone, and

quenching said flame to prevent combustion of the product.

10. The herein-described method of making gaseous products, whichconsists in producing a flame, passing said flame through a restrictedpassage to produce a zone of high temperature, introducing fuel to saidrestricted passage in lines parallel with the line of travel of saidflame, and maintaining in said passage an insufficient amount of air tosupport combustion.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED WILLIAM SOUTHEY.

Witnesses:

H. D. JAMnsoN, A. S. BISHOP.

